On their launch in 1994, QR codes were nothing more than a quick and accurate way for read and access information on shipping boxes. The small square composition allowed for readers and scanners to recall information from any angle, thus, planting themselves firmly within the shipping industry for years.
Later on, QR codes saw a blip in popularity as smart phones found themselves in the pockets of the majority of Americans. Consumers were able to utilize their smart phone cameras in conjunction with apps in order to read the silly looking squares. While their popularity grew, their functionality faltered. Scanning applications were clunky, they provided errors, and ultimately fell out of vogue due to consumer frustration.
Fast-forward to 2020, QR codes might be pulled from the depths of the tech archives.
In a contactless world, restaurants and businesses scrambled to find a way to provide information quickly and accurately to customers and consumers. QR codes were called in from the benches and placed on tables in restaurants around the country as dinning began opening up. Servers and waitstaff painstakingly taught consumers how to retrieve information and websites stored behind the cryptic codes. And slowly, consumers started getting trained on how to interact with the 26-year-old tech.
While previous attempts with the codes may have been futile, QR codes may find a place in direct mail once again. The once weak performer might now be a heavy hitter in the fundraising ballpark due to its widespread adoption by key consumers to fundraising professionals.
Simply generating and placing a QR code on direct mail packages could help streamline the giving process, aid in converting mail donors to digital donors and gather additional information about your donor base. It provides an additional opportunity to convert a potential donor amidst a sea of BRE’s, reply forms, vanity URL’s and social engagement asks.
The once confusing grouping of boxes might now be a beacon of simplicity for donors. And a well-designed mobile giving experience could dramatically lift response rates and open the door to a new segment of donors. A mobile first approach is a MUST when considering including a QR code on any direct mail piece since consumers have been conditioned to expect a quick process that works not only the first time, but every time.
As we scan the horizon for a better fundraising experience, we believe that scanning a QR code on your mail could be the way of the future.
Scan or click here to see how The Harrington Agency can expand your fundraising horizon. We’d love to hear from you!